Once you get accustomed to the new generation of color laser or dye sub, you will never again be satisfied with cheap ink jet. If you are (or aspire to be) a professional photographer, dye sub is the easiest way to produce digital color photographs on your own desktop.

Epson ink jet printers are okay for your kids to do their electronic homework, but Epson ink jet printers are the worst choice to reproduce photographs if your pictures are good.
The Epson prints we did faded quickly. The ones we hung on the wall faded so badly it was embarrassing.

The dye sub prints we did three or four years ago are still bright as can be, in fact here is a snapshot we took this month of an actual sheet we printed in Japan several years ago.

This particular image is a Rio Bec-Chenes style temple of Tabasqueno, Campeche, Mexico. The entire sculpted facade totally collapsed about a year after this photograph was taken. In effect, the F.L.A.A.R. photos are among the last professional photographs ever taken of this remarkable 9th century architecture.

It would be a shame to have the print fade. To preserve this image, dye sub is preferable.

Besides, it took just five minutes to print this on our own desktop. No wait for a darkroom.
color sample from a Kodak dye sublimation printer, Tabasqueno, Campeche, Mexico.

dye sublimation color print of symbolic jaguar spots on a Mayan vase

recommended reading on digital graphics | postcard sized dye sub digital photo printers

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last updated June 24, 1999